SOUNDSCAPE EXPLORATIONS

Noise Issues: Grand Canyon National Park

2012-02-28T07:17:00.001-08:00

The Grand Canyon National Park in the state of Arizona is a spectacular geological wonder and is visited each year by thousands who come to see its beauty and experience its unique soundscape. The tourist industry is big business in Arizona and the border state of Nevada with helicopter and aircraft tours providing a view not unlike that seen in the first video below. But there is an issues of noise. The second video is a plea for quieting the sky above the canyon. These two videos are followed by links to US National Park Service web sites related to noise management in the Park.

Grand Canyon (3:03) The Canyon is beautiful from the air and this video illustrates the view visitors who fly over it might expect to see. It was produced by Aerial Filmworks in cooperation with Grand Canyon National Park permission. Special attention was given to securing permits and obtaining a review of the filming plan before production started. Source: Vimeo

Grand Canyon Quiet (4:39) A video plea to address the preservation of the natural quiet of this unique geological wonder, which is acoustically encroached upon by the many daily sightseeing flights over it. A video by Jim McCarthy and Tom Martin. Source: YouTube

Efforts by the US National Park service to address soundscape issues within the park are outlined in:

Grand Canyon Noise Management. A web site by the National Park Service addressing soundscape preservation and noise management. Source: US National Park Servicve

Special Flight Rules. National Park Service web site related to substantial restoration of natural quiet at the Grand Canyon National Park. Source: US National Park Service

Soundscape Installation: Intersection

2012-02-27T06:18:00.000-08:00

Intersection (4:21) Intersection is a sound-based and site-specific installation by Pat Badt and Scott Sherk curated through March 2, 2012 by Creighton Michael at The Lab:Gallery in New York. The installation concentrates on the stop and go of the midtown traffic outside the gallery, focusing on the pulse and energy of the city. A hanging string column cycles between stillness and movement, while real time video sonograms and spectrograms are projected on to the gallery walls making the sound of the intersection visual.

Pat Badt is a painter and a Professor of Art at Cedar Crest College. Scott Sherk is sculptor who often works with sound. He is a Professor of Art at Muhlenberg College. Together Pat Badt and Scott Sherk curate the third barn.

Video by John Birdson

Source: Vimeo

Documentary: Kangaroo Sounds (excerpt)

2012-02-26T09:12:00.001-08:00

Kangaroo Sounds (9:22) This excerpt from the documentary "Kangaroos: Faces in the Mob" presents three segments related to Kangaroo vocal communication: male to male communication, courtship and mating, and mother child communication.

"Kangaroos: Faces in the Mob" is an Emmy award-winning documentary by Australian filmmakers Dr. Jan Aldenhoven and Glen Carruthers who devoted two years of their lives to filming a group of Eastern Grey Kanagroos.

Video source: YouTube

Soundscape Installation: Zettajoules

2012-02-25T07:46:00.001-08:00

Zettajoules (2:35) This Interactive Audio Installation by Cormac Crawley ran for the duration of the Hilltown New Music Festival 2011 in Ireland.

Participants affected the sonic output by interacting with junk equipment in the space. This interaction was implemented using motion detection and hanging wires that could be connected together. This interaction caused the old equipment to emit electromagnetic field sounds in the space; thus sonifying energy wastage.

Programme Notes: 0.5 zettajoules is now the approximate annual global energy consumption. The natural soundscape is affected by noise pollution and our unyielding consumption of energy resources. Our relentless energy usage creates electromagnetic fields that are all around us. This installation offers participants a unique opportunity to listen interactively to electromagnetic fields that are created by equipment and machinery used every day; frequencies otherwise imperceptible to us audibly. As participants enter the space, they stimulate equipment and electronic components, causing emission of electromagnetic sounds; i.e. buzzes, drones, pops and clicks. The piece evolves as people move around the space.

The sounds are first recorded by use of coil pickups that sonify the magnetic fields induced by equipment. These recordings, along with some other processes, are arranged in Pure Data and as participants move in the space, motion sensors trigger processes in PD related to specific equipment being stimulated. PD outputs the sounds via car stereo speakers contained inside the various equipment around the space. A combination of tweeters, mid-range drivers and woofers are placed in strategic locations inside the equipment and this helps to diffuse the different sounds in a lofi manner in keeping with the theme of the installation.

About the artist: Cormac Crawley is a PhD student researching in the Sonic Arts Research Centre of Queen's University Belfast. He notes, "…my research is based on soundscape composition and tied closely to acoustic ecology. I compose multi channel tape pieces and perform interactive installations in relation to the soundscape."

Sources: YouTube, Cormac Crawley

Research: Ofer Tchernichovski and Avian Communication

2012-02-24T08:33:00.000-08:00

These two videos provide an informative introduction to research on avian communication at the Laboratory of Animal Behavior at The City University of New York and specifically the work of Dr. Ofer Tchernichovski.

On Bird's Song (2:49) Ofer Tchernichovski uses the songbird to study mechanisms of vocal learning. Like early speech development in the human infant, the songbird learns to imitate complex sounds during a critical period of development. The adult bird cannot imitate any more - we do not know why. His lab studies the animal behavior and dynamics of vocal learning and sound production across different brain levels. The lab aims to uncover the specific physiological and molecular (gene expression) brain processes that underlie song learning. Source: PBS

Avian Einsteins (9:14) Ofer Tchernichovski discusses recent study of avian communication. He offers a look at how birds communicate and in various social situations and how communication skills are transferred from one generation to an other. This is a segment from the 2009 World Science Festival. Source: YouTube.

Soundscape Installation: Abstracted Environments

2012-02-23T06:53:00.000-08:00

Abstracted Environments (15:00) In this project, Rob Harrison, Leeds, Britain (UK), "...aimed to create an audio visual installation which would take participants on a journey through a series of imaginary environments by immersing them in multichannel audio soundscapes with supporting visuals. These environments include a cityscape, forest/countryside and coastal/beach environment.

The soundscapes have been created using various found sounds and some synthesis techniques. The visual element has been created by taking stock footage then editing and processing it to fit the narrative of the project. "

Source: YouTube

Soundscape: Antarctic - Cruise

2012-02-22T07:13:00.001-08:00

Note: This is the first in a number of videos exploring the soundscape of the Antarctic that will be archived over the coming months.

Cruise to the Antarctic (6:35) One might expect the frozen world to be silent. Far from it. Pascal Wyse records the extraordinary sounds of the wild on a voyage to the Antarctic peninsula. Mr. Wyse is a multimedia producer and contributor to The Guardian newspaper. He is also a writer and musician. (Note: Expect a commercial in the middle of this video.)

Click2Read an article in The Guardian about this voyage to the Antarctic.

Source: The Guardian's Dailymotion.

Phonography: Juan Carolos Blancas

2012-02-21T06:45:00.001-08:00

Field Recording (4:37) (ES) In this Art of Field Recording report, Juan Carolos Blancas discusses and demonstrates field recording techniques in the Sierra de Madrid region of Spain using parabolic microphones, hydrophones, and contact microphones contact.

"Acompañamos a Juan Carlos Blancas, fundador del mítico grupo de música electrónica Coeval, a realizar unas grabaciones de campo en la sierra de Madrid. Micrófonos de parábola, hidrófonos, microfonía de contacto... El mundo está lleno de sonidos que esperan a ser descubiertos por los oídos más inquietos."

Source: You Tube

Soundscape: The car horns of India's street scene

2012-02-20T09:25:00.000-08:00

The following videos were discovered while looking for Indian soundscapes. I sense that they were all shot by visitors who became fascinated with the sights and sounds within which they were finding themselves immersed, perhaps for the first time.

Save the fourth video until you've viewed the other three - you'll throughly enjoy the 'Car Horn Orchestra'.

Sights and Sounds (3:22) The chaotic street traffic of Amristar in India's Punjab. For all the confusion it seems to flow in its own unique way.

Traffic in Amristar (2:01) This video includes interesting rhythmic horn honking that gives acoustic diversity to the soundscape.

The Train Crossing (9:16) This railroad crossing segment would give any railroad safety officer second thoughts about about the purpose of crossing gates. It all amazingly works - with enough whistle blowing.

Car Horn Orchestra (00:51) A short soundscape composition by Pete Bishop inspired by the street sounds of Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay).

Note: Canadian composer Hildegard Westerkamp has had a fascination with the soundscape of India for some time and in 2002 composed 'Into India' (earsay label) in which she beautifully weaves together a tapestry of sounds she recorded of citizen's daily activities, cultures, and religions. Read review: Into India

Documentary: Sweetgrass (Trailer)

2012-02-19T08:41:00.000-08:00

Sweetgrass (Trailer) (2:34) A film by Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Ilisa Barbash. This is an unsentimental elegy to the American West. Sweetgrass follows the last modern-day cowboys who lead their flocks of sheep up into Montana's breathtaking and often dangerous Absaroka-Beartooth mountains for summer pasture.

The filmmakers collaborated with experimental musician and sound artist Ernst Karel who designed the film's complicated, orchestrated soundscape, which he essentially composed out of over 200 hours of film sound recorded for the documentary. An informative article on the PBS Art Beat web site discusses the film's production and soundscape design process. Click2Read

Phonographer: Luis Antero

2012-02-18T07:40:00.000-08:00

Making Art Through The Sounds of Nature (1:10) In this short video Portuguese sound artist and phonographer Luis Antero discusses his field recording work (PT). He talks about what engages him in the fantastic world of sound, concerns regarding the collecting of sound material, and his concert for blindfolded listeners. A June 15th, 2011 interview with Luis Antero by Tobia Fisher appears in Tokafi - an online publication. You can read about the origins of Antero's interest in field recording and the goal of his current efforts to document the soundscape (EN). Click2Read

Source: Noticias

Soundscape Composition: Found Objects As Instruments

2012-02-17T06:34:00.000-08:00

Here are four fun videos that explore the making of rhythmic compositions using found objects within the soundscape. There isn't much information available about the filmmakers. A search of the Internet has provided some, which is included below.

Visual Audio Sound Montage (1:04) An experimental film by Dave Dixon who is a 23 year old Senior in Graphic Design at Louisiana State University

The Rhythm of Life (1:29) A short video bringing rhythm into your life with everyday objects. The filmmaker is identified as a 21 year old living in the United States.

Soundscape (1:16) An audio/visual Montage - created by recording the sounds of everyday household objects and sequencing the sounds to create an interesting montage. The filmmaker is identified as a multimedia design graduate of Brighton University in the UK.

Penciled Percussion (2:41) Two young filmmakers made this 2010 award wining Teen Video Challenge production.

Source: YouTube

Phonographer: David Ascanio - ornithologist

2012-02-16T06:35:00.000-08:00

iPod Use For Field Work (2:58) David Ascnio is an authority on the birds of Venezuela. Having grown up in Venezuela he has, since the age of 7, had a passion for the field of ornithology. He has created the leading library of bird vocalizations in his country with over 500 hours of native bird recordings.

Ascnio has been guiding treks and birding tours since 1984, including Guyana, Suriname, Panama, the ABC islands, Trinidad and Tobago and the Amazon River across Perú, Colombia and Brazil. In addition to many trips, David was appointed to the board of directors of the Sociedad Venezolana de Ecoturismo and was elected last decade to join the board of directors of the Sociedad Audubon de Venezuela. More recently, he has been appointed as Research Associate of the Phelps Ornithological Museum, in Caracas. Click2Read Source: Conservation International.

Lecture: Jana Winderen on "Energy Field"

2012-02-15T07:41:00.000-08:00

Energy Field (28:58) "Jana Winderen studies and records wild places which have a particular importance in our understanding of the complexity and fragility of marine ecosystems."

"The recordings, discussed in this presentation, were made on field trips to the Barents Sea (north of Norway and Russia), Greenland and Norway, deep in crevasses of glaciers, in fjords and in the open ocean. These elements were then edited and layered into a powerful descriptive soundscape. The open spaces of Greenland, northern winds, ravens and dogs in an icy landscape provide the setting for these haunting but dynamic pieces. Sounds of crustaceans, fish such as cod, haddock, herring and pollock recorded as they are hunting, calling for a mate or orientating themselves in their environment, are all included in the mix."

"Jana Winderen is an artist educated in Fine Art at Goldsmiths College in London, and has a background in mathematics and chemistry from the University in Oslo. Since 1993 she has worked as an artist, curator and producer." Read more online about her "Energy Field" project. Source: YouTube.

Project: A Balloon for Linz

2012-02-14T06:45:00.000-08:00

A Balloon for Linz (2:43) This project explores the acoustic response of specific spaces in the city of Linz, Austria. A series of exploratory walks were organized in which participants were invited to pop balloons and listen to the acoustic properties of different architectural spaces. The project received an honorary mention at the Prix Ars Electronica 2011. Video by Davide Tidoni with assistance by Gerald Hauzenberger and Valentin Huber.

Documentary: Alex Braidwood

2012-02-13T06:27:00.000-08:00

City Sonic (1:52) This short KPCC video by Mae Ryan explores the work of designer, media artist and educator Alex Braidwood whose research is about the relationship between people and noise in densely populated areas like Los Angeles. His noise isolation headphones capture the sonic environment, which the user then modifies in real time transforming the relationship between the listener and the soundscape.

Click2Read more about the City Sonic documentary.

Click2Read more about the Noisolation Headphones.

Click2Listen to a KPCC radio report on this artist.

Noise Pollution: A Short Film About Noise!

2012-02-12T10:21:00.000-08:00

Noise! This short film, in two parts, was produced by Environmental Protection UK (formerly NSCA) for Noise Action Week 2005. The film follows a night in the life of David, whose evening is disturbed by noise from his upstairs neighbours, it illustrates the impact of noise problems and the importance of raising awareness about the solutions available. Produced by The Spot Agency / George Ravenscroft (2005).

Part 1 (9:55)

Part 2 (8:46)

Project: New Maps of Time Sound Workshops

2012-02-11T06:27:00.004-08:00

Video Collection. There are 28 videos in this collection that serve as documents from various workshops and collaborative site-specific projects that focus on sound. This posting will direct you to specific project pages at which you will find videos, sound files, and other data related to each activity.

New Maps of Time, Prague/Kladno Czech Republic (10.2009)

New Maps of Time, Istanbul Turkey (2.2010)

New Maps of Time, Calgary Canada (4.2010)

New Maps of Time, Malmö Sweden (5.2010) (no video)

New Maps of Time, Torun Poland (4.2011)

New Maps of Time, Vienna Austria (8.2011)

All videos can also be found without detailed explanation on VIMEO

Sources: John Grzinich, Sound Locations.

Soundwalk: New York Subway

2012-02-10T06:26:00.000-08:00

NYC Subway Soundwalk (3:49) This is a sound/slide program best heard with headphones. It features a soundwalk in New York City's subway from Hearld Square to the Queens. The project was recorded on March 5th, 2010 using a ZOOM-H4 digital recorder and binaural SoundMan OKM II microphones. To appreciate the full quality of the soundtrack download it at Double Dominant | Production Studio. Source: YouTube

Phonographer: Rosa Maria Oliart

2012-02-09T07:22:00.000-08:00

The following four videos explore the work of Peruvian phonographer and filmmaker Rosa Maria Oliart as she worked on recent projects. Ms. Oliart is the current President of the National Film Board of Peru (Spanish).

Desde El Sonido (3:31) (Spanish) Rosa Maria Oliart discusses her documentary "From the Sound", a discovery of the natural and cultural soundscape of Peru. This is a CampusTV report produced by students of the Faculty of Communications at the University of San Martin de Porres, Lima. Source: YouTube.

Rosa Maria Oliart registra Los Sonidos del Peru para el mundo (2:09) (Spanish) A National Liaison news cast interview with Ms. Oliart and her field recording project. National Liaison is a daily news program broadcast in 29 cities in Peru. Source: YouTube

Los Sonidos del Perú "Desde el Sonido" (5:46) This program documents a new film project by Rosa Maria Oliart. It includes unique sounds of the ocean, mountains and jungle of Peru. Oliart says, "We tried to cover all of Peru looking for sounds that might be of interest to be used in later productions." Peruvian sounds of nature, animals and even the customs were captured. This project was funded by the Spanish Cooperation and the project took more than a year to complete. Access to these sounds is free to potential users by registering at the Losonidosdelperu.pe web site. This project also led Rosa Maria Oliart to work on a documentary about Peru's sound spaces called "From the Sound", which will be released soon. Click2Read more. (YouTube)

Sonidos del Perú en Paracas-Perú (5:46) Short non-narrative documentary about the sounds of Peru as captured by Rosa Maria Oliart. Source: YouTube

Soundwalk: Downtown Kuala Lumpur

2012-02-08T07:54:00.000-08:00

Kuala Lumpur (3:05) (sound/slide program) This soundwalk was taken in late January 2010 with Kok Siew Wai's sound class from the Multimedia University in Kuala Lumpur. We met downtown at the Masjid Jamek train station, historically important because it is at the confluence of two rivers, where Kuala Lumpur was first established. Also important because this area brings together three cultures that are integrated in Malaysian life. This piece cross-fades excerpts from the first half of our soundwalk, which began by the mosque, continued through the roadside shops of Little India and in to the main market area of Chinatown. Sound recording, editing, and montage: Andra McCartney. Photos by Kok Siew Wai and Kourosh Ghahremani. Source: You Tube

Education: The Sound Collector

2012-02-07T06:16:00.000-08:00

The Sound Collector (11:55) This animated short by Lynn Smith, features Leonard, a 6-year-old boy with the unusual hobby of collecting sounds. Transforming household noises around him into exciting fantasies, he creates an adventure story for his older brother in which knights chase away monsters and perform other daring deeds. Source: National Film Board of Canada.

Phonographer: Chris Watson and Piers Warren in India

2012-02-06T07:37:00.000-08:00

Wildlife Sound Recording: India (10:18) In April 2009 Chris Watson, Piers Warren and a group of sound recordists headed to Corbett Tiger Reserve in Northern India on a Wildeye expedition for an unforgettable adventure recording the sounds of the jungle. Source: Wildeye and YouTube

Interview: James Murphy

2012-02-05T10:32:00.000-08:00

Sound of Snow (2:48) Doug Aitken interviews electronic musician James Murphy and the influence of the soundscape in his work. Source: New York Times

Soundscape Composition: Harmonic Field - A Symphonic Sound Walk

2012-02-04T06:51:00.000-08:00

Harmonic Field (4:59) In 2010 Pierre Sauvageot created and installed, in Martiques, this wind symphony for listeners-walkers that included 500 instruments: cello harmonics, drums shakers, glockenspiel-mills, bamboo-whistles, sirens-helices, music boxes, circles, and other instruments. The ensemble is played by the wind which required an understanding by the artist of resonance, space, and time. Click2Read more (French)

Noise Issues: Town Battles Birds With Noise

2012-02-03T07:38:00.000-08:00

Town Battles With The Birds (2:22) In May, 2009, Taylor, Texas, battled against an onslaught of egrets that became a health hazard for residents. As Don Tegue reports, the neighbors used noise as a solution, which created what might have become one of the noisiest streets in America. Source: CBS Reports.

Education: Sound, Hearing and Listening

2012-02-02T06:24:00.000-08:00

Senses: Sound and Hearing (6:28) This Science Channel presentation is one of the better online videos providing an informative overview of human hearing. Source: YouTube

Soundscape Composition: Paysages sonores

2012-02-01T06:39:00.000-08:00

Paysages sonorous (1:35) A short video soundscape composition by Jonas Bourguignon produced in November, 2006. Source: YouTube

Noise Issues: Canadian Stories

2012-01-31T05:18:00.000-08:00

The following is a series of short news videos explaining various noise issues facing Canadians across the country.

Ottawa (3:54) Air and sound pollution that created by bus and truck in downtown Ottawa may possibly be addressed by using rail service.

Vancouver (4:31) Vancouver International Airport is building a $12 million ground run-up enclosure to minimize noise while engines are run-up as part of regular maintenance work. The structure is intended to block noise radiating outward from the planes in order to protect surrounding neighbourhoods from noise pollution. Journal of Commerce Canada.

Victoria (3:08) The Environment and Infrastructure Public Advisory Committee is tuning into something many of us tune out; environmental noise pollution. The committee notes that there is a need for an overall community noise policy. A News Vancouver Island.

Research: Listening to Elephants

2012-01-30T07:58:00.000-08:00

Two videos on the subject of elephant communication are included in this posting:

Listening to Elephants (12:46 ) Bioacoustics researcher Katy Payne and her colleagues have found that elephants use low frequency sounds to communicate. These sounds are mostly below the range of human hearing but we feel them as "pulsations" in the air. In Africa these sounds may travel as far as 10 km and serve to coordinate elephant herds. Payne is co-founder of the Elephant Listening Project, which uses acoustic methods to study and aid in the conservation of forest elephants in Central Africa. Source: Cornell University. YouTube

Elephant Communication (1:44) Matt Anderson of the San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conversation Research explains how they have been monitoring communication between elephants that cannot be heard by human ears. Source: BBC

Soundscape: Buenos Aires

2012-01-29T10:34:00.000-08:00

Look down, look up and listen in Buenos Aires (4:36) Based on a soundwalk which began at the Borges Cultural Centre in Buenos Aires in early December 2010, as part of the Balance-Unbalance colloquium. A silent, listening group walked through the shops to the pedestrian mall on Florida, down to the park of Plaza St. Martin and back through Galeria Pacifica to return to the Cultural Centre. All sound recordings, photography and montage are by Andra McCartney.

Project: Grinding Gears - Acoustic Composition

2012-01-28T06:11:00.000-08:00

Grinding Gears (7:55) Students at the University of Windsor explore their acoustic environment by first listening to sounds in the field and then, returning to the classroom, create vocal compositions based on those sounds. This project was part of the Creative Improvisation in Music Therapy Course conducted by Dr. Petra Kern. Source: YouTube

Soundwalk: Guided Soundwalk on Culture Night

2012-01-27T08:25:00.000-08:00

Guided Soundwalk (7:20) This September, 2009 NCBI Guided Soundwalk offered a unique sonic experience led by the perceptive abilities of a team of guides with vision impairments while immersed in the intimate acoustic environment of an ‘Audio Umbrella’. The Soundwalk took place on Dublin's Culture Night.

The walk involved five stages, each one is 15 mins. in length and brought the participants to some of the most prominent cultural venues in Dublin's city center, where they could choose to partake in a range of exciting arts programmes for Culture Night.

The walks were repeated three times during Culture Night so participants could choose to take part in ‘Light’, ‘Dusk’ and ‘Dark’ events. Unlike a typical tour, guides of the NCBI Guided Soundwalk lead in silence, operating a long cane fitted with microphone and transmitter. With this, they created unique aural compositions broadcasting inside the domes of the Audio Umbrellas, like a mobile conductor directing a score for an urban orchestra.

NCBI Guided Soundwalk offered the audience not only the opportunity to enjoy the rich wealth of sonic experience in the urban environment, but also to appreciate a diversity of perception, ability and creativity.

Text Source: National Council for the Blind of Ireland
Video: Vimeo

Soundscape Composition: Reuschenberger

2012-01-26T05:04:00.000-08:00

Reuschenberger (10:51) This audio visual coproduction of Peter Hölscher and Michael Rüsenberg is a portrait of Hölschers atelier (studio), an old but still working watermill in Leverkusen, Germany. Sound and photos were recorded at the same time and place and then the artists worked on each element independently until the merging of both took place 2 weeks later. This is part of a series of "zeitbilder" (images in time). Source: Vimeo

Phonographer: Marc Namblard

2012-01-25T06:20:00.000-08:00

Audionaturaliste (2:23) (French) Marc Namblard, sound artist and naturalist living in the northeast of France, has spent several years listening to and recording the countryside capturing the sounds of animals, wind, streams, and other elements of the soundscape. He now shares his knowledge of biodiversity with audiences interested in wilderness. Visit Marc Namblard's Blog. Source: YouTube

Project: Bio Circuit - A Wearable Soundscape

2012-01-24T06:48:00.000-08:00

Bio Circuit (2:26) "Bio Circuit is a vest that provides a form of bio feedback using data from the wearer's heart rate to determine what "sounds" they hear through the speaker embedded in the collar of the garment. The wearer places the heart rate monitor around the ribcage, resting against the skin and close to the heart. An MP3 audio player embedded in the vest plays the audio track related to that specific heart rate. The audio tracks are soundscapes mixed from a range of ambient sounds. If the wearer’s heart rate is low, the soundscape will reflect a quiet natural area with sounds such as water, birds and insects. If the wearer has a high heart rate then they will hear a cacophony of urban sounds such as people talking and traffic." Bio Circuit was created at Emily Carr University of Art and Design by Industrial Design student Dana Ramler, and MAA student Holly Schmidt.

Source: Vimeo

Project: Sonsofera di Roma

2012-01-23T06:49:00.000-08:00

Sonsofera di Roma (6:14) What better way to call attention to listening to the soundscape than through a street performance with an oversized microphone. In this video the artists from Escoitar.org take their message to the streets of Rome and the famous Trevi Fountain. A goal is to make the public aware of the need to listen and give attention to the sounds of daily life.

Escoitar.org is a group of artists in Spain who are interested in the natural and human made soundscapes. One objective of the group is to call attention to the sonic environment in an age that has an obsession with the visual aspects of culture. The artists note that the sounds we hear are inevitably a part of our lives and collective memory. The recognition and preservation of the sounds that enrich life is an issue for artists to address in the 21st century.

Noise Issues: When is Noise Really Noise?

2012-01-22T06:54:00.000-08:00

When Is Noise Really Noise? (4:26) Mo Rocca visits with the cast of "Stomp," who use every day objects, from brooms and trash cans, to create music and are breaking the stereotypes of noise. Mo explores with the cast what they think noise is, and isn't. Source: CBS Tomorrow Show

Soundscape: Spring Walk

2012-01-21T05:52:00.000-08:00

Spring (1:32 ) Spring has yet to fully arrive. What is it that one hears along this melting jogging path? Source: Vimeo

Noise Issues: Texas Hospital Addresses Soundscape

2012-01-20T06:13:00.000-08:00

Hospital Noise (4:10) The Quiet Environment Committee at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth used their eyes and ears to learn about the disrupting nature of noise on patient units in the hospital. They found that noise levels exceeding establish federal and international guidelines can impede the wellness of patients, visitors and caregivers. And they learned that too much background noise can threaten critical communications.

The hospital introduced the concept of "SHHH," or Silent Hospitals Help Heal, and installed Yakker Trackers to monitor sound levels. The Yakker Trackers look like a stoplight: When the decibel level is at a healing level, the light is green. As sound levels increase, the lights turn yellow, and then red. Producer: Texas Health Resources Source: YouTube

Soundscape Composition: wewalktogether

2012-01-19T10:24:00.000-08:00

wewalktogether (29:00) (sound with descriptive title cards) This piece by Rui Chaves was presented during the 2010 Sonorities Festival at the Sonic Arts Research Centre at the Belfast Platform for the Arts gallery in Belfast.

wewalktogether was a mobile broadcast piece for 3 performers in three different cities: Graz, Hamburg, Belfast. They were symbolically united by a score with a series of notes and timed instructions and a multichannel system that allowed for simultaneously listening of each stream. Each performer explored different soundscapes, but also specific situations that are enhanced through on the spot engaging with urban space.

The piece aimed at providing the audience new time-space relationships based on the layering of the three sites, the gallery and the actions of the performers.

Research: Soundscape Design and Planning

2012-01-18T05:33:00.000-08:00

Ljudplanering Videos

There are 51 videos in this collection related to the Swedish urban

soundscape documented by Ljudplanering.se which is a vibrant online forum that explores sound design and the urban soundscape.

In this collection you can listen to sound examples from various Swedish cities and compare how different planning solutions affects the soundscape.

Ljudplanering.se has been developed in a collaboration between Movium and Gunnar Crewen, landscape architect MSA, with the financial support of Movium. AF Ingemansson, Malmo and Kalmar Municipality. Source: Vimeo.

Project: Sonido Del Patrimonio/Sounds of Heritage

2012-01-17T18:11:00.000-08:00

Sonido Del Patrimonio. (6:54) If you close your eyes, your perception of the acoustic environment becomes totally different. Surprisingly, sounds not given attention when the sense of sight dominates, are heard and seem to sprout out of nowhere. In this presentation Professor Mauricio Bejarano is a musician and phonographer at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia (Bogata). Here he discusses the soundscape of which he has spent years studying and documenting (Spanish).

Sonido Del Patrimonio. (6:54) Si realizásemos el ejercicio de cerrar bien los ojos, tendríamos una percepción de nuestro entorno totalmente diferente: cientos de sonidos a los que habitualmente no prestamos atención, brotarían sorprendentemente de la nada. Mauricio Bejarano, músico y profesor de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia, lleva años estudiando y documentando los sonidos que le rodean. En este reportaje Bejarano, que participó en el curso de verano de la UNIA en Baeza Patrimonio Histórico. Otras miradas, reivindica el sonido en la construcción de los territorios y su papel como parte integradora del patrimonio.

Soundscape Composition: Yokomono

2012-01-12T06:06:00.000-08:00

Yokomono (5:44) This is a sound composition with 30 auto-rickshaws playing horn patterns in sync with each other as they move in groups around the concentric circles of Connaught Place. The project has been conceived by Geert Jan Hobjin and assisted by Jens Alexander Ewald. Source: YouTube

Soundscape Composition: Paulista

2012-01-11T06:41:00.000-08:00

Paulista This soundscape composition by Rui Chaves and Felipe Hickmann uses both fixed and mobile streaming technology to construct a translocal musical and sonic performance linking SARC (Belfast), LAMI (São Paulo) and Paulista Avenue, in the heart of São Paulo’s financial district.

The avenue is home to a live webcam, which broadcasts a continuous video stream into an Internet portal. Under the sight of the live camera, a performer engages into a sonic exploration of the area in a set of choreographed actions that are part of an audiovisual composition – including video footage from the avenue and a trio of musicians on a live stage.

Premiere on 6th June 2011, at a network concert between QUB/Belfast and USP/São Paulo.

Soundscape: Iceberg Movements

2012-01-10T06:43:00.000-08:00

Iceberg movements create eerie songs. (1:55). This New Scientist video documents the work that researcher have done to record the sounds that icebergs make as they scrape past each other or shift in response to earthquakes. Source: YouTube/ New Scientist

Soundscape Installation: A Bell for Every Minute

2012-01-09T07:20:00.000-08:00

A Bell For Every Minute is composed of recorded sounds from 59 bells from all over New York City and beyond. Sounds range from the iconic rings of the New York Stock Exchange bell, the historic Dreamland bell (recorded days after it was discovered in the water off Coney Island), the United Nation's Peace Bell, and more everyday and personal sounds of bike bells, diner bells, and neighborhood church bells.

During park hours an individual bell will ring each minute from speakers placed throughout the tunnel space where it will be installed, the overtones fading out as the next bell begins. A chorus of the selected bells will play at the top of each hour, filling the space.

The sounds, represented on a physical sound map, identifies the location of each bell, allowing the listener to follow the geographic journey of the recordings. Collectively, the bells are a microcosm of the urban landscape as they relate to the sounds captured throughout the daily life in New York City.

The site becomes activated by the composition, inviting the passerby to engage with the High Line and its connection to the city around it. Source: The High Line ,

In these two short videos sound artist Stephen Vitiello discusses his soundscape installation designed for New York's High Line Park, which opened in June 2010 at the 14th Street Passage, between West 13th Street and West 14th Street.

Stephen Vitiello: A Bell For Every Minute (2:30) Note: video is shorter than time marker indicates.

A Bell for Every Minute (1:34)

Decumentary: Jon Rose - Aural Map of Australia

2012-01-08T17:10:00.000-08:00

Aural Map of Australia (12:58) Australian composer Jon Rose discovers the uniqueness of sound making across his homeland. A chainsaw orchestra, a singing dog, an aboriginal women's choir, a woman who makes music from DOT Matrix printers, and a man who screams into (and chews on) amplified glass are just some of the musical innovators Jon Rose met on both sides of the 40,000 kilometers of fences he turned into musical instruments throughout Australia. Rose then compiled this carnival of souls into a giant chamber orchestra, which performed at the 2005 Melbourne Festival, a sonic map of Australia that emerged from Rose's sonic map of the fences between them.

This is a video clip from "The Reach Of Resonance," a feature documentary directed by Steve Elkins.

Documentary: John Luther Adams - A Sonic Geography of Alaska

2012-01-07T06:42:00.000-08:00

A Sonic Geography of Alaska (4:18) John Luther Adams is an Alaskan composer who is interested in defining an ecology of music. He is greatly influenced by the sonic geography of Alaska and in this short video explores the forces of nature as music and a work he created translating the geophysical phenomena of Alaska into music, as explored in the feature documentary "The Reach Of Resonance", directed by Steve Elkins. Source: YouTube

Soundscape Composition: Tangamanga

2012-01-06T06:56:00.000-08:00

Tangamanga (15:08) In the Huachichil culture, the word Tangamanga means land of gold and water. In the past it was the name of the city of San Luis potosí, México. But today it is the name of a public park in the same city.

The Tangamanga landscape composition is by Iván Sánchez, with video by Omar Bernal, was realised with sounds recorded at a native community near the municipality of Aquismón, located at the Huasteca Potosina, with the help of the local inhabitants and the support of the institutions FECA and CANTE from Potosí San Luis.

Iván Sanchez, composer and guitarist, has composed for bands like RADIO KAOS, EL MONOLITO, and orchestral settings such as the Choir of the Symphony Orchestra of San Luis Potosí. He currently directs the Laboratorio de Arte Sonoro at CANTE as part of the Center of Arts in San Luis Potos, teaches classes in arts and culture at the ITESM and undertakes productions in his own sound studio.

Interview: Bill Fontana - Spiraling Echoes Installation

2012-01-05T11:51:00.000-08:00

Bill Fontana is interviewed (February 2009) as he puts the finishing touches on his sound installation Spiraling Echoes, which essentially used San Francisco City Hall as a musical instrument by shooting ultrasonic beams of bird, underwater and city street sounds off the walls of the building's rotunda.

Spiraling Echoes (12:24) Interview by Gallery Crawl. There is a related Educators Guide that can either be viewed online or downloaded and printed.

Spiraling Echoes -The Technology (10:43) On this episode of Culture Wire, Bill Fontana explains the technology behind his audio sculpture "Spiraling Echoes." Meg Shiffler interviews.

Bill Fontana (born in Cleveland, Ohio, April 25, 1947) is known internationally for his pioneering experiments in sound art.

Source: YouTube

Project: Lima Sonora Festival

2012-01-04T06:35:00.000-08:00

Lima Sonora Festival (3:33) In this video, children discover and learn about the soundscape of Lima in a visit to the Lima Sonora Festival. This exhibit was organized by the Investigación Sonora en Radio (ISONAR) workshop that included the participation of professors and students at the University De San Martin De Porres. This exhibit is a part of a larger project designed to bring the soundscapes of Peru to the people of Lima and to other cities around the world. It has, so far, been on exhibit in Argentina and Spain.

In this Spanish language news segment children are seen listening to "The Quipu Sound" devices which are colorful handmade gourds (with speakers) that serve as listening stations. Each is hand painted by Peruvian artists. The word "quipu" relates to "talking knots" used by the ancient Inca culture. There provide a multi-sensory experience in which you can touch, smell and see the quipu and robe that composes it.

Participants listen to various recorded sounds of the city with the goal of developing an awareness of the city's soundscape environment. Among the soundmarks identifying parts of city were the sharpening of knives, tamale making, the sound of trains, combis, bakers, ice cream vendors, strolling players, video games, and market places, among others. Source: YouTube

Project: Egyptian Museum Sound Map

2012-01-03T06:29:00.000-08:00

Sound Map (2:30) This excerpt provides an introduction to John Kannenberg's sound map of the Cario Egyptian Museum. During a five-week stay in Egypt in April and May 2010, Kannenberg devoted four days to recording the sounds present inside and outside the Museum, resulting in the eight hours of material from which this composition has been created. As a cultural institution, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo represents one of the foundations of human history; as a soundscape, it represents an unexpectedly rich sonic experience with its own place in the history of a country now in transition. Click2Read more about the project. Source: Vimeo.

Documentary: Stephen Vitiello - Listening With Intent

2012-01-02T08:39:00.000-08:00

Listening With Intent (27:41) This 'boat-movie' written and directed by Klaus Toft follows Stephen Vitiello, internationally celebrated 'sound artist' from the US, as he embarks on a 300km odyssey around the rugged Kimberley coast capturing unique sounds. Vitiello's latest challenge, to capture the sound of Australia, was at the behest of art patron John Kaldor and is to create an 'installation' exhibited in the old kilns at Sydney Park's brickworks buildings. Source Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Arts Online.

Interview: John M. Hull, Author "Touching The Rock"

2012-01-01T09:44:00.000-08:00

John M. Hull (2:24) In 1984, when the last traces of light sensation had disappeared, Professor John Hull began to keep a diary on cassette of his experiences as a newly blinded person. Touching the Rock is a selection of passages from this journal. In his book, Hull discovers the acoustic environment of the soundscape in which he lives and writes about the discovery of attentive listening.

Excerpt: RAIN 9 September 1983 - pp. 22-24

This evening, at about nine o’clock, I was getting ready to leave the house. I opened the front door, and rain was falling. I stood for a few minutes, lost in the beauty of it. Rain has a way of bringing out I the contours of everything; it throws a coloured blanket over previously invisible things; instead of an intermittent and thus fragmented world, the steadily falling rain creates continuity of acoustic experience.

I hear the rain pattering on the roof above me, dripping down the walls to my left and right, splashing from the drainpipe at ground level on my left, while further over to the left there is a lighter patch as the rain falls almost inaudibly upon a large leafy shrub. On the right, it is drumming, with a deeper, steadier sound upon the lawn. I can even make out the contours of the lawn, which rises to the right in a little hill. The sound of the rain is different and shapes out the curvature for me. Still further to the right, I hear the rain sounding upon the fence which divides our property from that next door. In front, the contours of the path and the steps are marked out, right down to the garden gate. Here the rain is striking the concrete, here it is splashing into the shallow pools which have already formed. Here and there is a light cascade as it drips from step to step. The sound on the path is quite different from the sound of the rain drumming into the lawn on the right, and this is different again from the blanketed, heavy, sodden feel of the large bush on the left. Further out, the sounds are less detailed. I can hear the rain falling on the road, and the swish of the cars that pass up and down. I can hear the rushing of the water in the flooded gutter on the edge of the road. The whole scene is much more differentiated than I have been able to describe, because everywhere are little breaks in the patterns, obstructions, projections, where some slight interruption or difference of texture or of echo gives an additional detail or dimension to the scene. Over the whole thing, like light falling upon a landscape is the gentle background patter gathered up into one continuous murmur of rain. Click2Read more. Video Source: Vimeo.

Documentary: Touch the Sound

2011-12-31T07:28:00.000-08:00

Touch The Sound (1:39) This feature documentary by Thomas Riedelsheimer follows Evelyn Glennie, a profoundly deaf musician, in her efforts to find new ways of making sound. "It's a spacious, hauntingly meditative film that thankfully does not dwell on the implications of Glennie's deafness; rather, it admires her achievements and interprets them for new listeners and delightfully shatters the way we think about sound."

The starting point for Evelyn's journey is the sounds and rhythms that surround us in everyday life. And from there, the path delves deeper - sculpting the nature of sound itself, discovering its genesis and how the universe depends upon it.

Accompanying Evelyn on her journey is filmmaker Thomas Reiedelsheimer - winner of the 2001 German cinematography prize, the Golden Gate Award Grand Prize in San Francisco (2002), the Grand Prix Montreal (2002) and two German Film Prizes (best Camera, Best Documentary) in 2003. Video source: Hulu.

For more about Evelyn Glennie, view Lecture Evelyn Glennie: How To listen (32:12)

Lecture: Mini Series On Ocean Acoustics

2011-12-30T07:44:00.000-08:00

The ocean covers most of the earth's surface and is geologically diverse and biologically alive with a variety of life. In the darkness of the deep sea most ocean animals use sound for calling, sensing, navigating, locating prey, and avoiding being prey. Sound making is critical to under ocean survival.

This is a series of mini-lectures on bio-acoustics produced by Ocean Conservation Research - a non-profit organization that is developing understanding and seeking solutions to the growing problem of human generated noise pollution in the ocean.

There are currently four short videos in this series hosted by Michael Stocker:

Introduction to OCR's Mini-Series (1:21)

Sea of Sounds (2:47)

How Fish Hear (4:56)

Human Generated Noise in the Ocean (3:25)

Michael Stocker is an acoustician and naturalist by trade and a musician by avocation, he has written and spoken about ocean bio-acoustics since 1992, presenting in national and regional hearings, national and international television, radio and news publications, and museums, schools and universities. His understanding of both physics and biology has proven invaluable in court testimony and legal briefs, defending the environment against the dangers of human generated noise in the sea. Source: Ocean Conservation Research.

Noise Issues: The Future of Noise

2011-12-29T06:12:00.000-08:00

Noise (7:53) This CBS program segment hosted by Mo Rocca looks at the future of noise. Where science fiction foresees the future soundscape as an oasis of quiet, the reality today, this video suggests, is one in which the world is becoming noisier.

At one time, humans depended on the sense of hearing for survival, but with the coming of the industrial age and the growing domination of the soundscape by noise people began to avoid attentive listening.

Sound artist Bruce Odland notes that noise is the result of wasted energy and that quiet machines are more efficient. However, quiet machines are an acoustic problem for some - such as the electric car that it can be upon one unexpectedly because of its quietness. Source: CBS News. The Tomorrow Show with Mo Rocca and featuring sound artists Bruce Odland and Sam Auinger.

Soundwalk: Ciudad de Lugo (City of Lugo)

2011-12-28T07:02:00.000-08:00

Ciudad de Lugo (10:12). The Spanish city of Lugo's soundscape is explored in this soundwalk down its dark streets at 21:30 on Saturday, April 17th, 2010.

Soundscape: Guanajuato City of Light and Sound

2011-12-27T07:38:00.000-08:00

Paisaje Sonoro de Guanajuato (3:02) Francisco Garcia Ledesma documents a night before the day of the Virgen de Guadalupe (December 11, 2009, 23:00 hours). In this soundscape one hears the drums and cornets played by participating church members in this Catholic festival. Video by Rodrigo Garcia Moran Source: YouTube

Research: Acoustic Communication - Humans and Dogs

2011-12-26T21:25:00.000-08:00

Can humans recognize barking signals (4:06) This PBS video segment examines the question as to if humans can understand the sounds dogs make as if those sounds are a form of language. Ádám Miklosi, Head of the Department of Ethology at the Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary, is examining this concept. Given that animal communication is so much a part of the soundscape, this short work is included in this collection. Source KCET Los Angeles.

Project: Blindfold - Sound Navigation

2011-12-25T05:23:00.000-08:00

Blindfold (2:37) This is a virtual and interactive sound installation by Jens Fische in which the user can experience the situation of a blind person navigating through a soundscape. Source: Vimeo

Soundscape Composition: Sonic Sidewalk

2011-12-24T06:43:00.000-08:00

Sonic Sidewalk (10:19) This video documents a Softday Mobile Philharmonic project in which participants used low-cost equipment and shareware/open source tools to first record sounds and then use those sounds to create cell phone ring tones. These tones were then combined in a public improvised sidewalk performance of their soundscape composition at Frenchs Cafe on Catherine Street in Limerick City (Ireland) on Saturday May 8th, 2010. Source: YouTube

Project: Interactive Sound Walk

2011-12-23T07:08:00.000-08:00

Interactive Sound Walk (:58) During the last week of November 2001, escoitar.org went to Mexico City with the goal of creating an interactive installation for the opening event of the Fonoteca Nacional de México .

The installation was an interactive map that is manipulated by the user selecting a location and listening to the soundscapes from that spot. The map included the 31 States of México and México D.F. Each one of these states included several representative soundscapes.

The installation was divided into two parts. First, the user could manipulate a physical table on which the map of México has been printed. When the user pressed on the top of one states or locations the sound from that area could be heard. Second, the user could watch a video projection of the same map that moves according to the user interaction, and shows information about the soundscape that is playing. Click2Read about the project.

Soundscape Composition: Audio Graffiti with Hidden Mother

2011-12-22T06:23:00.000-08:00

Audio Graffiti Inspired by street art's attempts to change the urban environment by expressing itself in it, Hidden Mother launches the project "Audio Graffiti". A series of improvised performances that examine and comment on the acoustic environment of Stockholm. There are currently 8 videos in this series. Source: YouTube

Project: The Gaits - A High Line Soundwalk

2011-12-21T06:52:00.000-08:00

The Gaits (2:07) Composers Lainie Fefferman, Jascha Narveson, and Cameron Britt have created a free iPhone application that uses the phone’s accelerometer to turn footsteps into twinkling metallic sounds, electric guitar chords, dulcimer notes, water splashes, car horns, and applause. By connecting them to small, wearable speakers, iPhones become instruments effortlessly played by strolling, sauntering, or sprinting down the High Line in New York City. Click2Read more about the project. Source: YouTube.

Lecture: Auditory Perception and Listening Challenges

2011-12-20T07:14:00.000-08:00

Lecture: What in the world do we hear? (8:52) By Brian Roberts. This lecture explores what perceptual research tells us about how our auditory system and its ability to overcome the challenges arising from everyday listening conditions. Brian Roberts is Professor of Auditory Perception at Aston University. Note: This informative presentation is incomplete, and the viewer is referred to the Aston University web site where the complete video is apparently no longer available.

Soundscape: Palm Sunday Procession

2011-12-19T07:48:00.000-08:00

Palm Sunday (3:53) This short video captures the vibrant soundscape of a 2007 religious Palm Sunday street procession in São João del Rei, Brazil.

Domingo de Ramos, 2007, em São João del Rei. Procissão que parte da Igreja do Rosário em direção à Catedral Basílica do Pilar.

Project: Soundscape Art Project

2011-12-18T09:06:00.000-08:00

Soundscape (3:37) Hugo Solis is a University of Washington graduate student in the Digital Arts and Experimental Media program. In this video he describes his art piece that will use sounds collected on ship, in the water, and on the Enlighten 2010 cruise. Source: Vimeo

Project: Sons do Arco Ribeirinho Sul

2011-12-17T06:33:00.000-08:00

Sons do Arco Ribeirinho Sul (2:20) This project by Portuguese artist Luis Antero began last October following the 8th edition of OUT.FEST-Festival Internacional de Música Exploratória do Barreiro. It intends, through an artistic approach based on sound recordings, to facilitate the awareness and preservation of forests, marshlands and riverfront of this region in Portugal. Click2Read about this project in Portuguese or Google English translation. Source: Vimeo

Related links:
www.luisantero.yolasite.com
www.sonsdealvoco.yolasite.com
www.luisantero.bandcamp.com

Project: SoundLife London

2011-12-16T06:38:00.000-08:00

SoundLife London in Leicester Square Gardens was the first exclusively sound-based public art work of this scale in the UK.

It is a unique hour long sound composition created especially for Leicester Square Gardens by sound artist and musician Martyn Ware, which reveals the 3-dimensional sound world that surrounds us at all times in the most fascinating and diverse city in the world. It is a composed 'soundscape' of looped and mixed found and collected sounds with an ambient musical composition. It aims to augment the everyday background noise of Leicester Square with a distilled ‘sonic essence’ of London – a dynamic soundscape of familiar places and feelings associated with Westminster and beyond A variety of sonic themes are introduced at ten minute intervals each hour throughout the day. The installation played from 9am until 7pm every day from 4 to 14 June 2009. Source: VIMEO

There are three videos:

SoundLife London Lecture (35:40)

Launch of the project (17:49)

Trailer (3:07)

Soundscape: Antarctica

2011-12-15T06:01:00.000-08:00

Antarctic Sights and Sounds (4:15) This is a beautifully shot film by Jim Napoli that brings the sights and soundscape of Antarctic alive. Source YouTube

Noise Issues: Orcas and Shipping

2011-12-14T06:39:00.000-08:00

Into the Waves with Orcas (4:30 ). Orcas use sound to navigate, find food and communicate. But underwater noise is making it more difficult. We explore, in this slideshow, how scientists use hydrophones to track noise from ships and boats to discover what affect noise pollution really has on orcas. Source: KQED public television.

Documentary: John Cage, "I have Nothing to Say and I Am Saying it"

2011-12-13T07:18:00.000-08:00

John Cage (56:03) For composer John Cage (1912-1992), one sound, or noise, was as useful as another. Is the sound of a moving truck musical, he says, then adds with characteristic impishness, ''Which is more musical, a truck passing by a factory or a truck passing by a music school? John Cage was well known for his interest in the soundscape beyond that of traditional musical forms. Source: American Masters (1990)

Soundscape Installation: Music from Earthquakes

2011-12-12T07:07:00.000-08:00

Tectonic (4:03) Tectonic is a sound sculpture created in real time by earthquakes as they occur across the globe. A tightly integrated system between Max/MSP, Google Earth and Ableton Live processes a stream of real-time data that is translated into synthesis and sample playback parameters.

When an earthquake occurs, seismic data is relayed to the system, sound is produced and Google Earth immediately flies to the coordinates of the latest earthquake giving us a visual representation of the newest developments. As multiple earthquakes occur daily, the sculpture builds, enmeshing itself in a complex soundscape of textures and tones - every second, different from the last and never repeating the same stage twice. Source: Vimeo

Lecture: Daniel Levitin - Evolutionary origins of music

2011-12-11T05:06:00.001-08:00

How the Brain Evolved to Play and Listen To Music (1:02) This video examines the evolution of human sound making and understanding. Daniel Levitin visits Google's San Francisco, CA office to discuss his book "The World in Six Songs: How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature." This event took place on August 22, 2008, as part of the Authors@Google series. An unprecedented blend of science and art, Daniel Levitin's debut, This Is Your Brain on Music, was an extraordinary success. Now in what is being called a tour de force by his peers, he showcases his audacious theory of "six songs," illuminating how the brain evolved to play and listen to music in six fundamental forms—for friendship, joy, comfort, knowledge, religion, and love. Source: Authors@Google series.

Research: Studying Sounds to Learn About Ecosystem Change

2011-12-10T06:18:00.001-08:00

Feeling Lost Sounds (2:07) Landscape ecologists are studying what sounds can tell them about a specific ecosystem. Researchers have found that certain sounds or lack thereof can be an important indicator of environmental changes. By recording the sounds in a particular area, scientists can track the typical patterns and note any changes and investigate the causes. Source: American Institute of Physics.

Soundscape: Chaitén

2011-12-09T07:00:00.001-08:00

Chaitén (3:11) The town of Chaitén, Chile, was evacuated in May, 2008 when the long dormant Chaiten Volcano erupted about 10 kilometers from the town located in the Chilean Patagonia. This video visits the soundscape of an abandon cabin now void of human habitation and sitting within the shadow of the mountain. This is an audiovisual essay produced for Forks Magazine. Source: YouTube

Research: Boat Alarm and Manatees

2011-12-08T06:16:00.001-08:00

Boat Alarm Could Save Manatees (4:33) Manatees can't hear the low sounds of boat engines, which is why the animals are frequently injured, a researcher says. A high-pitched alarm could solve the problem as demonstrated in this Wild Chronicle segment from the National Geographc Missions Program. Source: National Geographic Videos.

Phonographer: Chris Watson Underwater Recording

2011-12-07T07:15:00.001-08:00

Chris Watson Records Underwater (4:38) In this short spot sound recordist Chris Watson documents his efforts to record underwater sounds that will become a part of an installation for London Wild Bird Watch, which will take at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust's London Wetland Centre, 20-22 April 2012. See also: Chris Watson: Phonographer, Source: YouTube

Noise Issues: Copenhagen

2011-12-06T07:30:00.001-08:00

Noisiest Pollution in Copenhagen (4:55) This short TV-story explores the issues of noise pollution in Copenhagen and Denmark, which the program identifies as the noisiest nation within Scandinavian region. Source: YouTube

Soundscape: The Forest Awakens

2011-12-05T06:52:00.001-08:00

Forest Awakens. (5:44) This video, filmed by nature photographer Craig Blacklock provides an audio-visual experience of a northern Minnesota forest as spring arrives. The production, in collaboration with the University of Minnesota's Center for Spirituality & Healing, is designed as a take "5" from the stress of daily life. Source: YouTube

Interview: Carlos Alberto Augusto - Sound, Theater and Acoustic Space

2011-12-04T10:52:00.001-08:00

Sound, Theater, and Acoustic Space (10:21) Composer and acoustic communication specialist Carlos Alberto Augusto talks to Raquel Santos about sound, space and theatre (in Portuguese). This is an excerpt of an interview for the program “Entre Nós”, Universidade Aberta - RTP2, 2007.

Carlos Alberto Augusto spent over 15 years in noise pollution control, research and regulation with the Portuguese environmental authority and then went on to study with two great Canadian composers and teachers R. Murray Schafer and Barry Truax. He completed his M.A. at Simon Fraser University (Vancouver, Canada) under Truax's supervision. Source: Vimeo.

Soundscape Composition: A Day in the Park Parts 1-3

2011-12-03T07:20:00.001-08:00

A day in the park is a soundscape composition commissioned by Hilary Phillips AVDC Biodiversity Birthday Project coordinator. The guidelines for the piece were to make a soundscape composition made from sounds recorded in three green spaces in Aylesbury, the idea being to highlight the biodiversity of the Aylesbury Parks (UK). The project was developed by Lawrence Fernando with I-Van Multi Media Project and area youth. There are three videos in this series: Part 1 (9:43), Part 2 (6:52) and Part 3 (4:31). Source: YouTube.

Lecture: Barry Truax - Acoustic Space and Soundscape Composition

2011-12-02T04:51:00.001-08:00

Acoustic Space and Soundscape Composition (1:02) Professor Barry Truax, Simon Fraser University, was one of the members of the World Soundscape Project at SFU when it pioneered the study of acoustic environments and published the Vancouver Soundscape recordings and booklet. Since then this work has achieved an international profile through the World Forum for Acoustic Ecology. Truax’ artistic work has included the creation of soundscape compositions that create musical pieces using environmental sounds. Barry traces this history and plays examples. As a composer, Truax is best known for his work with the PODX computer music system. He also developed the first ever implementation of real-time granular synthesis, in 1986. This lecture was recorded at Sonic Acts XIII 2010. Source Vimeo.

Soundscape: Communal Acclamation

2011-12-01T06:16:00.001-08:00

Communal Acclamation (2:01) Have you ever heard a city cheering? This short video provides an interesting example of a communal event amongst dwellers in the high rise Yaletown district of Vancouver, B.C. The cheering was the result of the Vancouver Canucks defeating the San Jose Sharks in a hockey game opening the way for the Canucks to play in the prestigious Stanley Cup competition. The video demonstrates the power of sound to go beyond the constraints of sight and be shared by a whole community.

Vancouver has one of the fastest-growing residential downtown areas in North America: nearly 40,000 people have moved downtown in the last 10 years. Nowhere is this urban renaissance more apparent than in the densely packed high-rise condos and converted warehouses of Yaletown now home to many of the city’s trendiest restaurants, bars and night spots, hip shopping boutiques, and celebrity haunts. Source: YouTube.

Research: Animals and acoustic Communication

2011-11-30T07:55:00.001-08:00

BBC Nature Wild Video Collection. Acoustic communication is the sending and receiving of messages using sound. Bird song, the roars of lions and the chirping of cicadas are all examples of this. Sometimes the messages are outside the range of human hearing, such as the ultrasonic squeaks of baby rats or the infrasound rumbles of elephants. Most acoustic communication is not language, in the sense that humans use it, although language is one aspect of this adaptation.

There are 50 videos on animal communication archived on this BBC site.

Documentary: Constructing Sonic Belvederes

2011-11-29T06:31:00.001-08:00

Sonic Seascape Terrace (8:16 ) Documentation of two sonic belvederes constructed by Marianne Decoster-Taivalkoski and Hanna Haaslahti in Turku (Finland) during summer 2011. A realtime soundscape composition created by Alejandro Montes de Oca was distributed on the terraces from the hydrophones submerged in the body of water surrounding the terrace.

Call For Video Links

2011-11-29T06:20:00.001-08:00

The Soundscape Explorations directory is looking for online videos related to the field of acoustic-ecology. Please send URL links to soundscapexplorations@gmail.com

I am interested in all topics related to the soundscape as it is studied from a variety of disciplines be they scientific, social, or artistic.

Thank you!

Phonographer: Nick Penny - sound diarist

2011-11-28T06:37:00.001-08:00

Sound Diarist (1:46) Throughout 2008 Nick Penny, a musician turned sound diarist created an online archive of sounds recorded near his home in Oundle, Northamptonshire, UK. He shares the sounds he records with listeners all over the world who turn into this soundscape of everyday life. His sound diary is available online. Source: BBC.

Soundscape Composition: Sounds of Africa

2011-11-27T10:20:00.001-08:00

Each of these two videos is a montage of images and nature sound woven together into an Animal Planet TV Program promotion for Africa Month. Created by David Bez.

Sounds of Africa 1 (1:00)

Sounds of Africa 2 (1:00)

Sources: YouTube

Soundscape Installation: Times Square Sound Sculpture

2011-11-26T06:58:00.001-08:00

Sound Sculpture (1:46) Even in the cacophony of staccato noise that defines Times Square, one sound seems particularly intriguing. Depending on one's ear it is either a continuous oooom-like mantra, a moan, a reverberating bell or an organlike drone.

It can be heard if you stand on or near the grating over a subway ventilation shaft on the pedestrian island where Broadway and Seventh Avenue intersect south of 46th Street. You can even detect it sometimes aboard the Queens-bound R, N and W trains before they lumber into the West 49th Street subway station. But no tourist map or sign identifies it.

That is the whole point.

"I wanted a work that wouldn't need indoctrination," says Max Neuhaus, the artist who created the work, which he calls a sound sculpture. "The whole idea is that people discover it for themselves. They can't explain it. They take possession of it as their own discovery. They couldn't do that if it were labeled 'An Artwork by Max Neuhaus.' Full article.

Source: New York Times Video

Documentary: Listening to Northern Lights

2011-11-25T06:22:00.001-08:00

Listening to Northern Lights (7:45) When solar flares hit the Earth's magnetic field, the skies at both poles can light up with auroras. The particles also create very low frequency electromagnetic waves, a type of natural radio that can be picked up around the globe. Every year sound recordist Steve McGreevy heads north where the reception is best and points his receiver at the sky. This was made for use in the Minnesota Planetarium and Space Discovery Center dome, thus the circular frame of the images). Produced by Joel Halvorson NASA Earth-Sun Museum Alliance (ESMA)

Phonographer: Knud Viktor

2011-11-24T07:24:00.001-08:00

Le Sculpteur de son (8:51) Knud Viktor (1924 Copenhagen) is known as a pioneer of phonography and sound ecology. Formerly a painter but also a photographer and a film maker, Viktor wanted to picture the landscape by capturing the impact of the intense light and sounds upon animals. He spent most of his life trying to capture the tiny sound of animals and the sound of erosion on the rocks of Régalon (Lubéron, France) where he was living at the time of this interview. Source: YouTube

Knud Viktor, Le Chantre Du Luberon (12:00) Have you ever heard the sound of a worm in a fruit, that of a guinea pig in the womb? Knud Viktor did. Perceiving the imperceptible, he recorded thousands of sounds, mixing, and processing them for seventeen years, to achieve a "sound painting" of the blue mountain of Luberon. Originally a painter, printmaker, photographer, he explains why he turned to the world of sound. He explains how by making short films on crickets that little by little, "the sound took over him." He speaks of his early recordings. Source: ina.fr

Language: French only

Noise Issues: Moscow

2011-11-23T06:22:00.001-08:00

Muscovites angry over noise pollution (4:02) In a city of 10 million people Moscow is dealing with pollution in a whole new way. Prime Time takes a look at an environmental issue that is changing the way we live, sometimes without realizing it.

Source: RT Moscow

See video list for other Noise Issue topics.

Documentary: Michael Colley Hang Performer

2011-11-22T06:53:00.001-08:00

Michael Colley: Yue Diao PANArt Hang. (6:19) Many artists interact with the soundscape which helps give form and definition to their work. Michael Colley performs and discusses his search for acoustic spaces that enhance the sound of this unique percussion instrument. A film by Darren Teale.

Source: YouTube

Lecture: Hildegard Westerkamp, "What is a sound walk?"

2011-11-21T08:02:00.001-08:00

"What is a sound walk?" (33:36) In this presentation, Hildegard Westerkamp, uses recorded interviews, audio mixes, and live readings, to explore the evolution of soundwalks put on by the Vancouver Soundwalk Collective. She traces how the continuity of soundwalk activities over time may have shifted and deepened participant experiences in listening and relationships to space and place. This presentation was part of "Session 5 Soundwalks, Acoustic Spaces and Field Recordings" Sonic Acts XIII, 2010, Amsterdam.

Soundscape Composition: Duluth Harbor Serenade

2011-11-20T05:20:00.001-08:00

Duluth Harbor Serenade (8:36) by Philip Blackburn. Duluth, Minnesota is on the shores of Lake Superior. The area is rich in signature sounds and sonic landmarks as is evidenced in the salutes between the lift bridge and boats, the trains, and the various bells around Duluth. Blackburn has taken this ambient soundscape and composed it into this 8 minute performance piece that was part of a 2011 Labor Day Weekend festival. The project was supported by an Artist Initiative grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, with funds from the Legacy Amendment. More at: www.philipblackburn.com

Source: YouTube

Education: Making Sound Maps

2011-11-19T07:31:00.001-08:00

Sound Maps (13:57) An IslandWood environmental science educator discusses the techniques and practices of creating a soundmap to document an acoustic environment.

Source: YouTube

Documentary: Music in Nature

2011-11-18T07:56:00.001-08:00

Music In Nature (8:13) In this short documentary segment we follow Oregon musicians Deklun and Pace from Mount Hood to the coast as they find natural homes for their unique Electronic/trumpet musical improvisations. With a 1000 watt sound system, a computer and a trumpet, they don’t play for crowds. They play for an audience of nature alone. Produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting

Source: OPB